Ras Al Khaimah: An Emirati fisherman on Monday caught a rare Ocean Sunfish, but on realising its value to researchers, decided to hand it over to the Ras Al Khaimah Environmental Protection and Development Authority.
Omar Abdullah Kaseen's nets seemed to be so heavy that he had to ask for help from relatives and colleagues to haul it in. Only later did he realise that he had netted a huge round-bodied fish unlike anything he had seen before.
The weight of the fish was more than 100 kilogrammes and it was still alive when it was brought ashore.
The fish was 150 centimetres long and 180 centimetres across and it took seven men to pull it out of the water and carry it from the boat.
Kaseen said that this was the first time a fisherman in Ras Al Khaimah had caught the rare fish in local waters. Fishermen in Kalba, Fujairah, had earlier reported a similar catch but a much smaller one.
Dr Saif Al Ghais, executive director of the RAK Environmental Protection and Development Authority, confirmed the fish is usually found in oceans and is known for spawning millions of eggs each year.
